I recently purchased the HST video and was very impressed by the continual track focus and deep nose of the dogs. I plan to train my next dog in a manner simlar to that of the Dutch police - starting with hard surface and scent discrimination.

Does anyone know whether the Dutch trainers use any correction or redirection techniques if the dog becomes distracted or sways from side to side while scenting?

I'm not sure of the video you're speaking of so if I misunderstood, please correct me.
Do you mean FST?

If so-->


Read Frawley's TTD article.

I wouldn't recommend a training a dog to track completely nose down all the time.

Dogs knows how to track. I have a 1yr. old GSD that tracks like a demon. When we are on a track and we reach hard surfaces he will automatically nose down a little more if there is no scent in the wind. This doesn't need to be "taught". It's natural to a dog.

The Dutch don't have a system per se. There are two schools in Holland and there were definate differences to both. One seemed to ground the tracking in the evidence search (which includes a degree of dicipline) the other did not. Both worked very firmly on maintaining the dogs very tight on the path taken by the suspect. There was seldom more than a few inches deviation from the track. The dog's head must be oriented down and nose to the ground to maintain a positive track on hard surface. If not then you would be attempting to trail the suspect. This is a different skill. It relies on the blown scent froma human and this is the most fleeting of odors on the track.
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Kevin--

You obviously have more knowledge in the area of how the Dutch train.

Just speaking from my experience, my dog tracks very well over multiple surfaces including parking lots, etc. I have never trained him to nose down. Just got him interested in finding people and he noses down on his own when we hit hard surfaces. In the beginning he would sometimes lose the scent on hard surfaces and I would take him back to the last place he was "on" and start him again. He does very well now and he just turned one.

Thanks for the info Kevin. I am refering to Hard Surface Foot Step-Type Tracking - not trailing, TTD, etc. Right now, I have a pup that I am imprinting with hard surface tracking -- and the Dutch idea of tracking someone in stocking feet (no shoes) seems to work extremeley well.

Kevin -- when you refer to grounding the track via the evidence search -- do you mean that they teach the evidence search (Find command)with correction seperate from the track and then add it to tracking later?

Kevin-- just one more question. When you say that both schools worked "firmly" on keeping the dog within a few inches of the track -- What did they do if the dog got a bit off-- 1 or 2 feet, for example?

Kevin-- just one more question. When you say that both schools worked firmly on keeping the dog within a few inches of the track -- What did they do if the dog got a bit off-- 1 or 2 feet, for example?

The dogs that I saw were either beginning or advanced.....nothing in the middle. The advanced dogs and the beginning dogs were restrained until they focused again and showed they were working the track again. They were not allowed to run though they did work on a somewhat tight line.
For the ones who knew the evidence search, they were very proficient at seeking and picking up the articles. The handlers then went to the dog.
In working this skill myself, I wait until the dog has learned that compusion can be escaped by searching out the article.
Others i have observed search for a dog with very good focus and work the dog to subsequent toys hidden along the track to maintain that focus.
Looking at the particular dog and its character as well as the history of the dog is important.
Another comment has been made on this board that a dog that has learned what is being called foot step tracking cannot learn what is being called here as tracking through drive is quite untrue. I've coached the changes with handlers many times.
What needs to be looked at is whether the dog has had a technique which is directed at schh which is often coined zook-platz. A form of compulsion that often has the dog moving forward regardless of using its nose.